The invention relates to a mould to be used in a continuous casting plant with side walls that are adjustable to different strand dimensions and with supporting means arranged below the mould for supporting the strand which emerges from the mould. The supporting means are secured to the mould by holding means such as bracing screws, drawing anchors or the like, which holding means are detachable from above.
The supporting means arranged at the lower side of the mould and reciprocating therewith carefully support the strand which at that point has only a very thin outer shell. The stationarily mounted supporting and guiding means follows this supporting means at a slight distance therefrom, which distance permits the reciprocating movement.
If a break-through of the strand occurs in the region slightly below the mould, it is first of all necessary to remove the mould. This, however, is difficult, since the steel that flows out through the break in the strand welds parts of the plant together. In particular the supporting means secured to the mould is welded to the stationary supporting and guiding means and to the strand, and skulls form. In order to be able to remove the mould in such a case without having to carry out manipulations with the mould, it is known to secure the supporting means to a plate and to secure the plate to the water box surrounding the side walls of the mould by means of carrying columns. In that case the carrying columns are guided through the water box and secured to it at its upper side. The disadvantage with this construction resides in the fact that during each change to a different size, not only the side walls of the mould have to be re-adjusted, but in addition the supporting means have to be re-adjusted. Thus work has to be carried out slightly below the mould in the space that is narrowed by the presence of the reciprocating drive. The positioning of these supporting means, which separately have to be re-adjusted, necessitates measurements and, if their adjustment to the mould side walls is imprecise, there is the danger that they can easily damage the strand skin which is still very thin at that point.